Twilight Star
by Sun Star
Summary: The last Unicorn of Middle Earth, once forgotten, now welcomed with open arms, joins the Fellowship's quest to destry the Ring. Her presence, however, is fated to alter history, determining whether the quest shall fail or prevail. Slightly AU, rating may
1. Prologue

Prologue  
  
When such dark creatures as balrogs and dragons roamed Arda, the Valar decreed that a creature should be made to protect Arda and all the beings living in it from the evil beings. Manwë gave them the speed of the winds, Yavanna and Oromë gave them the ability to talk to all living animals and plants, Tulkas gave them mighty prowess in battle, and Varda and Ulmo, with the help Vairë spun them out of starlight and the foam upon the sea green waves. And thus the Unicorns were born.  
  
The ethereal, immortal creatures, stood as a pure white horse, for horses served the Kindreds, with hooves of burnished copper and sparkling silver horns like lances of pearl. Though the small, lithe creatures held great power, they were not all powerful. Nothing is, nothing shall ever be. A single Unicorn, however courageous or fearless it may be, could not throw down a balrog, let alone a dragon. Yet, an even greater peril, for both the unicorns and the whole of Arda, is that should a unicorn have ever been bridled, they must submit to their captor's will, giving the captor unimaginable power while the Unicorns would slowly fall into Shadow.  
  
Yet it never happened.  
  
The unicorns stayed in Middle Earth up through the War of Wrath. And then they disappeared. No one knows why. Some say that they ran into the nighttime sky and became stars, watching down upon Arda, glittering like diamonds against a celestial velvet. Others say that they went to the sea and still run and play as the white crest upon the rolling waves that lap upon the shores of Arda. While yet others say that they were not truly immortal, just extraordinarily long lived and their lives had come to an end. Whether any of those are true or not, the Unicorns were gone.  
  
Except one.  
  
One unicorn remained in the peaceful woods of Imladris, lost and confused, held captive by the twisted spell of Glaurung, the First of the Dragons.  
  
She stayed in hiding, never seen by any and rarely leaving the havens of Imladris. While the existence of Unicorns became legend, and then legend became myth, until none remembered the time of the Unicorns, she tried to remember her past and her purpose and stayed forever hidden until fate held it upon itself to bring her back. 


	2. Chapter One

Golden Shackles  
  
Author: Sunny  
  
Edited by: Star  
  
Rating: PG-13 (for violence)  
  
Warnings: This is an AU (kinda, I mean, I only added Unicorns (and one Unicorn that manages to mess things up.).).  
  
Me own nada. I only checked them out, if you sue me, you will only get a burned newspaper. Flames will be used to cook orcs.  
  
The rating MAY go up. And this MAY include SLASH! You can always leave if that makes you uncomfortable. And don't say I didn't warn you!!!!!  
  
This follows the movie and the book (complicated!) so you can't say I didn't warn you.  
  
In the Prologue I have quite a few references to the Silmarillion.  
  
~*~*~*~ Means a change in views (and occasionally a change in scenes and point of view) and when someone is speaking it is in present tense and when it's just third person, it's not.  
  
*** Means a change in scene  
  
Warnings for the Chapter: It's based on the movie, nothing in particular that bad, only using some quotes and scenery.  
  
Geez, that's enough with the warnings, ON WITH THE CHAPTER!!!  
  
Chapter One  
  
The time is nigh.  
  
The trees whisper of a fell Shadow in Taur e-Ndaedelos.  
  
The swift waters running hither smell of deceit and evil.  
  
The birds sing forth of nine unspeakable creatures, chasing a being that bears an element of darkness.  
  
I have not felt such fear as this since, my name and purpose where erased from my mind. With such tidings as this, I must leave this place I call home, 'tis all that I can do, I must help them.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"What 'tis this?" Aragorn cried, upon coming back to the makeshift camp, the athelas plant clutched in hand. The Hobbits, all except Frodo, were huddled against a giant tree, staring wide-eyed at Frodo.  
  
Or, more specifically, that creature that lay with its magnificent head lightly resting across his chest.  
  
He.she.it.was like a horse, pure white, her coat glistening like the stars that watched down upon them from the heavens. A white mane, like the frothing foam upon the ocean's waves lay upon a smooth, silky neck. The tail, spread across the green ground, was like the mist that rose from a waterfall. A horn, like a pointed rope of silver, lay across the dreadful wound in Frodo's shoulder.  
  
Aragorn's hand reached for his sword, the creature, had not harmed Frodo, but there was still no guarantee that it would not. The monster, startled by Aragorn's approaching footsteps, raised its head and stood. "I offer thee no harm," a clear, soft voice, much like a child's or young women's, stated in Elvish. "I hath come for the Hobbit, to bear him to Imladris. 'Tis not much longer ere the creatures that hunt thee shall arrive." Soft blue eyes, resembling the perfect sky of a clear day, stared at Aragorn, pleading for his trust. "I shall not let him fall!" Urgency rang in her voice like a silver bell.  
  
"Then I will trust you," Aragorn replied, what choice did he have left? The creature bent down, almost as if she were bowing to the Ranger. He understood, and gently picked the icy cold hobbit up from where he lay and placed him gently on the creature's back.  
  
"I thank thee," the gentle, wide sapphire eyes studied him for a moment. "Son of Arathorn." She wheeled around and started off at a gallop.  
  
Her keen ears twitched back and forth, searching for sounds of the creatures. All she heard was one of the hobbits yell: "What are you doing? The wraiths are still out there!"  
  
Nothing. There was nothing.  
  
Wait.  
  
A screech that sent shudders through her sleek body. The pounding of hooves.  
  
They were coming for her. 


End file.
